Abstract
Membrane fouling has a strong negative impact on the efficiency of reverse osmosis membranes in seawater desalination. Although reports indicate that water abstracted by beach sand filtration systems on the Mediterranean and Red Seas leads to less membrane fouling compared to direct seawater intakes, only limited information can be found on the efficiency of such systems in removing biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC), an important fouling agent. This article describes different designs of beach sand filtration systems. In order to investigate the reduction during beach sand filtration of parameters relevant to membrane fouling, such as total organic carbon (TOC), turbidity and total nitrogen, column experiments have been carried out using natural and wastewater spiked seawater with coral beach sand from Hawaii, USA at low and high infiltration rates. Additionally, operational results from existing beach sand filtration sites were collected and supplemented with data from a field site visit of the Dahab beach well desalination plant, Egypt. Preliminary results show good reduction of the targeted parameters and indicate that beach sand filtration would be a valuable pre filtration step in RO based drinking water production systems.
Highlights
Civil Engineering Faculty Publications. 131. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/civilengfacpub/131. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Civil Engineering at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Civil Engineering Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Dahabȱ SWROȱ plantȱ withȱ concentrationsȱ ofȱ 0.6ȱmg/lȱ mayȱ increaseȱ theȱ investmentȱ andȱ operationalȱ costsȱ ofȱ additionalȱpreȬtreatmentȱinȱtheȱfuture.ȱToday,ȱtheȱironȱcanȱ beȱ passedȱ throughȱ aȱ multiȬmediaȱ bedȱ filterȱ priorȱ toȱ membraneȱ filtration,ȱ butȱ remainsȱ aȱ problemȱ forȱ rawȱ waterȱsupplyȱpipes.ȱȱ ȱ AlongȱtheȱGulfȱofȱAqaba,ȱopenȱseawaterȱintakesȱalsoȱfaceȱ otherȱ problemsȱ besidesȱ dissolvedȱ ironȱ andȱ landwardȱ ȱ groundwaterȱ contaminations.ȱ Duringȱ summerȱ lowȱ tide,ȱ theȱ differenceȱ inȱ headȱ betweenȱ theȱ minimumȱ waterȱ levelȱ inȱ theȱ intakeȱ tankȱ ofȱ theȱ Sharmȱ ElȬSheikȱ oldȱ harbourȱ desalinationȱ plantȱ andȱ theȱ openȱ seaȱ isȱ belowȱ theȱ minimumȱ levelȱ requiredȱ toȱ sustainȱ aȱ constantȱ feedȱ flowȱ rateȱ underȱ gravityȱ alone.ȱ ,ȱ theȱ sameȱ openȱ intakeȱ pipeȱ itselfȱ hasȱ repeatedlyȱ beenȱ misusedȱ toȱ anchorȱ smallȬȱ andȱ mediumȬsizedȱ fishingȱ boats,ȱ andȱ wasȱ thusȱ liftedȱupȱorȱdislocatedȱfromȱitsȱoriginalȱposition,ȱpossiblyȱ sustainingȱstructuralȱdamage.ȱ ȱ 5.ȱSimulationȱofȱBeachȱSandȱFiltrationȱȱ UsingȱColumnȱExperimentsȱ ȱ Columnȱexperimentsȱhaveȱbeenȱcarriedȱoutȱusingȱnaturalȱ andȱ wastewaterȱ DOCȬspikedȱ seawaterȱ andȱ coralȱ beachȱ sandȱ fromȱ Lanikaiȱ Beach,ȱ Hawaiiȱ (USA)ȱ toȱ assessȱ theȱ TOCȱ removalȱ efficiencyȱ ofȱ coralȱ sandȱ atȱ lowȱ andȱ highȱ infiltrationȱ ratesȱ asȱ aȱ functionȱ ofȱ theȱ flowȱ pathȱ lengthȱ (travel/contactȱtime).ȱȱ ȱ Theȱ experimentalȱ flowȬthroughȱ columnȱ setupȱ consistedȱ ofȱaȱ1ȱmȱlongȱandȱ0.1ȱmȱdiameterȱacrylicȱpipeȱhandȬfilledȱ toȱ0.9ȱmȱwithȱcoralȱsandȱ(Figureȱ9).ȱȱ ȱ ȱ
Summary
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/civilengfacpub. Rico; Grischek, Thomas; Ghodeif, Kamal; and Ray, Chittaranjan, "Beach Sand Filtration as Pre-Treatment for RO Desalination" (2012). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Civil Engineering at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Civil Engineering Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
